Fire fighting tool



Oct. 13, 1931. STEPHENS 1,827,118

FIRE FIGHTING TOOL Filed May 18, 1931 INVENTOR L./] s'te oizens Patented Oct. 13, 19 31 LUCIENIA. smnr innsfonments'cmrg CALIFORNIA 'FIGHTING'TOVOVVLL ingestion med May. s, 19si.-- seen no. 538,335.,

areas become lvery dry duringjthe summer months and 'jfires are easily started; 'f such; areas are frequented by automobile campers Whoare to belig'noran't andcareso less in their use ,ofjcamp' fires, matches] and the like it iS a vre"(gluiljniilent,of the: Forest Service that each automobileshall jcarrya shovel and axe of suflieient size to'ibe lof practical use in fires should the oc caslon ar se;

lTh efldles 0 1' h .b d na y lized implements of this character are too long to be] conveniently accommodated in an ordi nary automobile, andthe principal objectof myiin e mm there fore'is to proyide a handle structure formed: of a number of separableise'c'tionsfso" arranged that whenjinjopen ation a full length 'fof rigidfl handle for the imp em it i o m d b t ch 'Q fl e.

stantly taken apart or separated, and yet will remainin conneoted relationshipso that the sections ofthe handle cannot hecoin'elost. .fllhe handle therefore'is ordinarily veryfc'om- 'paot'jand may 1 be I packed and carried a small space?) 7 j V T Aofurther bjet of the inyentionis to produce a "simple and inexpensive device and yet one which 'will be exceedingly efiectiye forthe purpose for, Which'itis designed. .gfThe'se obj sets; I {accomp1isl "'by ,IneanSTQf such structure and relative arrangement of i i t' i w l any ppe y tperu iq'i the following specification and claims; j In the drawings similar characters of reference-indicate corresponding parts in the i v jv w o If i. L F'g, .l-v i i flperspe t v iew of y mproved handle structure as arranged in lcfonne ction with a shovel andas ready for openation. i 1- .rFiggB 's ,a;cross seetion on 'th'e 111553 3 separate I {a side elevation of the handle structureiwiththesections dismounted from each other.

' ple mentl is aflongitudinal'section of an ini- "blade as engaged With the handle to a, ShQY v e r 1 v 7 similar View; shoyving the blade engaged'iivith the handle'to form a hoe.

I Fig. 17 a; fragmentaryiviewof the handle structure a'sjino'unted in. connection with an ai ed-f w jlReferi ingjnoyv moreparticularly to the i v charaete rs otrefer'ence on the drawings, the

handlestructure comprises aunumber of tubular sections '1 Which are of reduced size at one end as shown at 2 so as to" telescopically fit into the end of anadj ac'ent section, In order to prevent the turningof the sections relative.

other they are preferably provided with a ridge: and groove arrangement along thentelescoping portions? as shown in 3.

Any 9 or devices for servingthe same pur poses may ofcourse be used instead. I

' l The lowermost section, which is the one to which the implement itself is attached, is 'o'rovid edtoward itsfupper end with a row 4 o-in'it s' opposite sides, through any matching pair of which a bolt 5is remov ably passed. This bolt" engages the adjacent end of a chain 6or the like which extends all the sections to the outer end of the uppermost one, At its upper end'the chain is connectedto theadjacentend of a'bar 7 which atfsaid end is provided With a cam sur thmugh ad p ed: tion and a spring and grip faces for engagement with the outer edge of the adjacent 'handle section. This bar is to e fiend lengthwis'e along said See- 'atyit's opposite end "is rovided with clip 9 adapted to'partia lly surround the section; If desired the bar when thus in placealong the section may be. countersi nk ina groove, as shown in order thatit willno't' 'projecmbo e the section, and so as to provide a smooth surfacefor engagement With ,thehand off'the operatorv'vhenusing the in; lenient-1.3

vents th seen'that the chain' bar unit always pree sections 'froniifbeeorning definitely are taken apart, since the chain atone end is connected to one section by means ofv the bolt 5 and at the other end of the bar, whose clip 9 is larger than the section andcannot pass therethrough. The length of this bar is sufiicientto provide enough slack when outstretched and in alinement with the chain, for the disengagement of the telescoping portions of the section andthe folding of the same in side by side relation, asshowIn in Fig. 4:- When the sections are asseinbled in rigid alinement, the bar projects for its full length beyond the upper section, and the cam surface 8 is then. engaged with the edgeof said section and the bar is folded over to eX- tend along the section. This tightens the chain and holds the sections from separation. lf the chain should stretch to any extent, the bolt 5 is shifted to another hole 4 to again give the chain the necessary tension.

- At its lower end the lower handle section is given a wedge-shaped form, as shown at 10 to slidably and snugly fit in a socket 11 mounted on the upper surface of a blade 12. T he blade is then in such relationship to the handle to serve as a shovel or spade. The sides of the socket and the portion 10 are provided with matching holes to receive a bolt or pin 13 to then maintain the parts against separation.

In order to enable the setting of the blade relative to the handle to be altered so that the blade may serve as a hoe, the upper surface of the socket and the blade below are provided with slots 14 whose dimensions are such as to receive the portion 10 in wedge engagement therewith, as shown in Fig. 6. In this case the same bolt 13 is used to prevent separation of the parts.

The same handle arrangement although somewhat shorter may also be applied to an axe, as shown in Fig. 7. In this case the lower handle section 1a is directly and rigidly secured to the axe head 15. Otherwise the construction and operation is the same as above described.

In marketing these implements itis my intcntion to sell the two types above described as a unit, since both are necessary to form a proper iire fighting equipment.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that l have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

\Vhile this specification sets forth in cletail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An implement handle structure comprising separable handle sections adapted for i,827,1 is

telescoping engagement at their adj acerit ends, and means to then releasably tie all the sections together simultaneously.

2. An implement handle structure ;co1'ntions when once they are telescopingly en sasa 3. An implement handle structure comprising separable handle sections adapted for telescoping engagement at their adjacent ends, a means common to all the sections to prevent longitudinal separation of the sections when once they are telescopii'igly engaged while permitting them to be disengaged and separated from each other at will but only a predetermined distance.

l. An implement handle structure comprising separable handle sections adapted for telescoping engagement at their adjacent ends, a flexible element projecting through all said sections and secured at one end to the lowermost section, and means applied to the opposite end of the element for pulling and maintainin g the same taut.

5. A. structure as in claim l, in which said means comprises a bar to one end of which said outer end of the element is attached and adapted when the sections are assembled to fold over and extend along the adjacent section, a cam surface formed on the end of the bar to which the element is attached and adapted for engagement with the end edge of the section to cause the element to be pulled taut by the folding over movement of the bar, and means on the outer end of the bar to re leasably hold the bar flatly against the sec tion.

6. An implement handle structure. comprising separable handle sections adapted for telescoping engagement at their adjacent ends, a flexible element projecting through all said sections and secured at one end to the lowermost section, a bar to one end of which the other end of the element is attached, said bar being adapted, when the sections are assembled, to fold over and lie along the adj acent section and then hold the element taut, and a spring yoke on the outer end of the bar for straddling frictional engagement with the section.

7. A structure as in claim 6 in which the length of the bar is suflicient to enable the sections, when said bar is longitudinally alined with the element, to be pulled apart from each other.

8. An implement handle structure comprising separable handle sections adapted for telescoping engagement at their adjacent ends, a flexible-element projectingthrough all said sections and secured at one end to the lowermost section, a bar to one end of which the other end of the element is attached, said bar being adapted, when the sections are assembled, to fold over and lie along the adjacent section and then hold the element taut, the length of the bar being greater than the combined length of the telescoping portions of the sections; and a member on the outer end of the bar adapted for releasable holdin en'- gagement with the adjacent section an incapable of passing through the same.-

9. An implement comprising a handle, a

wedge shaped portion on one end of the handle, a blade, a socket on the blade open to the back end of the same and shaped to receive said portion; the top of the socket and the blade below having slots to fit over the Wedge shaped portion whereby the blade, when said portion is engaged with the slots, will be disposed at a different angle to the handle than when said portion engages the socket.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LUCIEN A. STEPHENS. 

